WASHINGTON - In the wake of the Florida school shooting Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J. District 7) said a 22-year restriction that prohibits the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from studying the links between mental health and gun violence should be dropped.

“By removing restrictions that prevent the federal government from studying mental health issues that lead to gun violence, Congress could have a clearer picture of what effective policies and solutions might be taken to stem the tide of violence,” said Lance.

In 1996, after extensive lobbying by the National Rifle Association (NRA), Congress passed a law prohibiting the CDC from conducting research on gun violence.

The law eliminated $2.6 million from the CDC's budget, the same amount the agency had used for firearms research. It also prohibited the CDC from engaging in advocacy on issues related to guns.

The NRA maintained that it doesn't oppose gun research but that its opposition is directed more at research that is biased, flimsy or aimed at advocacy.

"The National Rifle Association is not opposed to research that would encourage the safe and responsible use of firearms and reduce the number of firearm-related deaths. Safety has been at the core of the NRA mission since its inception," NRA spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen said. "However, firearm safety is not the goal of the advocates seeking CDC funding — gun control is."

Bust this week, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said Thursday that he would allow his department to conduct research into the causes of gun violence. Lance is a member of the committee and attended the hearing.

“I agree with Secretary Azar — it’s time to permit the CDC to study gun violence as a public health problem,” Lance added.

In the prior administration, Lance introduced legislation signed into law by President Obama aimed at expanding access to mental health services throughout the country. The Excellence in Mental Health Act is providing additional federal funding for community mental health centers to serve an additional 1.5 million patients annually.